anyone use dr. bronner's soap for pest control?

[Sczi]

I have half a bottle of this stuff that says it's detergent free.. can I dilute it with water to spray on plants, and do you think it will be effective? It is the peppermint flavor.

Ingredients: Water, Saponified Organic Coconut & Olive oils (with retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Organic Peppermint Oil, Organic Mentha Arvensis, Citric Acid, Vitamin E

[JennyC]

That's an good idea, Sczi. I hadn't though about Dr. Bronner's. I don't know what the peppermint might do -- maybe someone else will. Doesn't Dr. Bronner's make a plain type for babies, too?

[Sczi]

Yep, they sure do.. https://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/SENSITIVE.htm

I went ahead and mixed some up and sprayed it on my most infested cucumber vine.. crossing fingers as we speak.

[applestar]

This is not exactly on-topic, but last summer, I was using Dr. Bronner's LEMON bar soap and EUCALYPTUS bar soap together in the shower, and I got less mosquito bites. I have to make a trip to Whole Foods and get some more of those because I'm getting bit every time I step out of the house!

[Elizabeth Obsesses]

What a good idea to try. Has anyone had any luck with that? I use Dr. Bronner's lavender liquid castile soap as part of my own disinfectant spray instead of Chlorox brand, although any variety (of Dr. B's) would work.

It smells so good, and I'm confident that it kills germs too. Here's the recipe:

2 Cups Hot Water
1 1/2 T Dr. Bronner's
~10 drops lavender essential oil
1 T white vinegar
3T rubbing alcohol

Stir well and decant into your favorite spray bottle. Side note: the essential oil, and vinegar also have antibacterial properties. (As does the rubbing alcohol). However, the main purpose of the rubbing alcohol is to lower the surface tension of the mixture so that it evaporates quickly, like commercial disinfectant sprays.

[Sczi]

I chickened out.. I mixed some up, but it foamed up in a weird way that I found disconcerting. I sprayed the underside of the leaves of my cucumber vine with the worst aphids, but I didn't notice a difference at all, and there are eggs all over the place. Maybe it doesn't work, or more likely even if it does work, I didn't do it right, so I dunno. I definitely got soap on the plant, because I smelled the peppermint. Seems like regular old dish soap may be the best way to go unless someone has already done some significant experimentation with dr. bronners and pests. I decided to just get some ladybugs instead.

[doccat5]

If there are eggs, then you are not dealing with aphids alone, sounds like beetles, try some neem oil and plant some radishes as a trap crop to help get the pest population under control.